Licenses Offered

On August 26, 1996, the Commission began a simultaneous multiple round auction for the final 3 blocks of the Broadband PCS licenses. This auction offered a total of 1,479 licenses, three in each of 493 BTAs in the United States and territories, the most licenses offered in one auction to date. The D and E blocks were open to all entities. To bid on the F block license, the bidder needed to qualify as an entrepreneur.

Bidding On "F" Block Licenses

To bid on an F-block license, an applicant must qualify as an entrepreneur. For this purpose, 47 C.F.R. section 24.709(a) defines an entrepreneur as an applicant that, including its affiliates, its owners, and its owners’ affiliates, has:

Gross revenues of less than $125 million in each of the last two years

Total assets of less than $500 million at the time of the FCC Form 175 application is filed